Scion Of Historic Kansas City Organized Crime Family Guilty Of Bank Theft

The owner of an ATM servicing company whose family directed the highest levels of organized crime in Kansas City has pleaded guilty to bank larceny and money laundering.

Prison time is expected for 46-year-old Anthony Civella, Jr. It is is the first and only federal conviction for Civella whose father and grandfather served long sentences for a variety of offenses purportedly connected to mob activities.

Civella Jr.'s great-uncle, Nick Civella, led the local mafia for decades beginning in the 1950's, before a Las Vegas casino skimming scheme went awry and dismantled it in the 1980s.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Becker prosecuted Civella Jr. for stealing U.S. Bank money from ATM’s his company serviced.

“There was nothing said about what was done with the money," said Becker. "It was just the allegation that was admitted that the total amount taken from the bank, through the ATM machines, was $330,040.”

The law calls for a 30-year prison term but sentencing guidelines recommend 2 to 4 years.

For three decades, organized crime in Kansas City was ruled by one mobster: Nick Civella. On this Friday's Walt Bodine Show, co-host Monroe Dodd will be joined by longtime FBI Agent William Ouseley for a look at how the mob emerged into the public eye, and ran every aspect of our city, as told in his books Mobsters in our Midst, and Open City.